Back in the 1980’s, there were a plethora of radio options. As a kid growing up in Washington, D.C., I was surrounded by a mix blend of soul, funk, disco, hip-hop and of course, go-go. However, like many of my peers, I also grew up listening to rock music, from classic artists like AC/DC to 80’s stalwarts Journey and Def Leppard and hair bands like Ratt and Motley Crue.

I listened to radio mostly while riding in the car with my mom. That pretty much meant listening to the amazing WHUR 96.3, the areas leading adult contemporary station. There, we would hear Earth, Wind and Fire, Teddy Pendergrass, and other quiet storm essentials. I recall hearing Major Harris‘ “Love Won’t Let Me Wait” or “Don’t Ask My Neighbor” by the Emotions and wandering what they were talking about. These songs were definitely adult oriented.

At home, I would often listen to stations like DC101 for hard rock and WAVA for more Top 40 songs. During this period, you could hear a wide variety of artists from Genesis to Madonna and of course, Michael Jackson and our favorite, Prince.

We fondly remember this commercial which highlights the diversity of the music we were all listening to at the time. Enjoy: